Dr. Jianming CAI is a full professor at the Beijing Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He got his First Degree from Beijing University and Master Degree from ITC of the Netherlands, and his Ph.D. from The University of Hong Kong. He is currently the Regional Coordinator of RUAF Foundation in China and the City Coordinator of SWITCH program in Beijing.

He is the author of Modern Geographical Sciences and co-author of more than twenty books in Chinese. He has published up to 90 papers and chapters so far in academic journals and books, both in Chinese and English. He frequently serves as a senior consultant or expert on urbanization and regional development issues to both international agencies such as the World Bank, EU, DFID, Ford, IDRC, DGIS, DTZ, Lincoln Land Institute and Chinese Government Ministries such as the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction, local governments and private sector (e.g. the Shui On Corporation).

He is also the active member of many academic associations such as the Vice-chairman of Chinese Urban Agriculture and Recreational Agriculture Association, the member of Chinese Urban and Regional Planning Association and the member of Chinese Geographic Society, etc.

Dr. Cai’s current research focuses on globalization and the spatial restructuring of China’s large cities with an emphasis on peri-urban development dynamics and metropolitan governance in those cities, as well as urban agriculture and sustainable city development, including integrated urban water management and agro-tourism in peri-urban China.